Adult Swans that were NOT Pinioned are Generally Capable of Flying unless they are Clipped to keep them Grounded.

PREVENT YOUR YOUNG UNPINIONED CYGNETs from LEARNING TO FLY.

The Cygnet above was Hatch in the Wild and Rescued.

Cygnets are Capable of Flight once their Wing Feathers
are Fully Developed – around 15-16 Weeks Old.

This will differ when Cygnets are Not Feed a Good Diet.

It Helps to Record the Date Cygnets Hatch..

Clipping is NOT as Effective as a Proper Pinioning..

This Rescued Cygnet was NOT Pinioned or Clipped…
He DID Learn to Fly.. Grounding will be More Challenging.

*******************************************************DISCLAIMER
If you have ANY Doubt about Clipping yourself, check with your Veterinarian who works with Birds and see if they will help you at least the First Time.

I will not assume any responsibility if you do not read and understand all these Instructions or do not take the time to fully understand Wing Anatomy..
or Understand the RISK of Cutting into a Blood Feathers.

This Young Swan DID NOT Survive the Blood Loss.

The Person who did this
had NO IDEA what they were Doing ! *****************************************************

***CLIPPING WINGs – Safe, if done very carefully.

The Goal is to keep the Swan/Cygnet off balance when they try to Fly..

Clipping is a NON-Surgical alternative to Surgically Pinioning the Primary Flight Feather Section on ONE Wing. This Method only lasts until Flight Feathers are replaced during the Swan’s Annual Moult.

Clipping Feathers does not Trigger New Primary Flight Feathers to Grow. A Feather that is Pulled will Regrow.

Ideally you will be Clipping/Cutting (5) Primary Flight Feathers above the level of the Primary Coverts, so almost the entire Feather is removed, leaving about 2-3 inches of Shaft still visible beyond the Skin Follicle.

Looking from the UNDERSIDE of the Wing:

If there is any Pink-Purple in the Feather Shaft, it would be Safer to Cut/Clip 6-8 Primary Flight Feather on One Wing short of any Coloration… ONLY Cut where the Shaft is White..
CLIP One Feather at a Time.. and WATCH for Any Bleeding..
(STOP if you See ANY BLOOD.)Do what is Necessary to STOP ANY Bleeding.

Wait for the Feather Shafts to turn Opaque
– Maybe One to Three Weeks..
and Cut/Clip 5 of the Flight Feathers shorter.

If you Acquire New Swans or Cygnets that are still Full-Wing,
Clipping or Pulling Primary Flight Feathers can be useful until you arrange to have a Veterinarian Surgically Pinion your Cygnets/Swans.FULL WINGS will Look the Same Left and Right.

Proper Clipping will Prevent MOST of them from “Taking to Air” and flying away ! !

NOT All Methods of Clipping will Work for Swans/Cygnets.
Clipping is Effective until the next Moult..

Pulled Feathers will GROW BACK in about 4-6 Weeks.

This can also give you time to send Samples for DNA-Sex Testing.
Make sure you can identify Individual Cygnets/Swans when submitting multiple DNA Samples.

DO NOT SEND the Cut Primary Wing Feathers for DNA Testing.
Feathers to send for DNA Testing must be freshly pulled from the Birds’ Skin.

Study a Diagram of a Bird’s Wing and learn the Names
of the different Wing Feathers and their location.

If you have a Cygnet/Swan with Clipped Wings, watch for their Moult to start. You will think a Feather Pillow Exploded. The very Large Flight Feathers falling out will be a BIG Clue. Swans go into a “Shabby Stage.”

You may see the thick Feather Shafts of the Old Clipped Feathers on the Ground or floating on the Pond.

It will take several weeks for the New Primary Flight Feathers to grow in.
They will need to become firm before the Swan is able to Fly..
This firming only takes a week to 10 days.

PICTURE SERIES of a Male Mute Swan’s Annual Moult. These are the Visual Stages to Watch for.

A Normal Moult Time for a Healthy Mute Cob – July. Male Mute Swan Generally Start to Moult in July….

The Annual Moult is to Replace Worn Plumage.

Swans are Flightless During their Moult.Look Closer – New Feathers are Emerging ! WATCH for THESE Stages of Moulting.

Blood Feathers are Mainly in the Wings and Tail. NO PINK or Purple VisibleTHIS IS THE TIME TO BE READY TO CLIP….
You will have about 10 – 14 Days to Take Action.The Beautiful New Plumage of a Mute Cob.It is TIME TO Clip….

************************************Clipping Feathers is Quick and Simple to do. ***Supplies to have On Hand For Clipping:

*** BEST to Work with TWO (2) PEOPLE
Swans are difficult to Control Alone.
One Person to Hold Cygnet/Swan with a *Large Bath Towel.
…AND One to carefully Clip/Cut the Flight Feathers.

*** DO NOT HOLD the Rib Cage area of a Cygnet/Swan TOO Tight..
Swans need to move their Ribs to Breathe.
If they can not Breathe, they will struggle more.

***A Pair of *Blunt End Scissors that Cut a Drinking Straw easily. You do not want dull Scissors, you want a Quick Smooth Cut.

***A Sturdy Pair of Needle Nose Pliers – (tweezers are not strong enough).
Just in case you need to Pull a Feather that Bleeds
and will NOT STOP ! !*** Read about Pulling a Blood Feather so you are Prepared. The WebSite below is One of Several.

***Clean Corn Starch (seems to be preferably)
or (White) Flour.
IF a Feather Shaft BLEEDs.. STUFF this Clean White Powdery Material into the Hollow Shaft. Hold the End Securely for 5-10 minutes.***WATCH it does not Start to Bleed Again.

OR AS a LAST RESORT TO STOP ANY BLEEDING*** KWIK Stop*** as a LAST RESORT..

Found at Most Pet Supply Stores.

GREAT Care Must be Used to prevent the Swans from Ingesting this Material. It Quickly become Solid as a Stone.. and could become an Obstruction in a Swan’s Mouth or Throat.
************************************************** CHECK the Feathers you Plan to Clip Carefully.

There are 10 Primary Flight Feathers on each Wing.

For a nice appearance – Skip the first Primary Feathers (#9-#10)
Then choose 5 from the remaining 8 to Clip.
If you need to Clip/Cut very New Blood Feather……
&&&&&& DO NOT CUT as Short, Trim a few more. 7-8

*** NEVER Cut into the Shaft Section-Area containing a Blood Supply.

The Quill is the part of the Feather Shaft up inside the Skin Follicle. The Blood Vessel will remain Active in the Quill longer then in the Shaft.

For several weeks (varies) after Primary Wing Feathers grow in there will be a Blood Supply flowing through the Feather Shaft and Quill.

The Section of Feather Shaft closest to the Quill will appear Pink or Slightly Purple.***NEVER CUT FEATHERs Where YOU SEE THIS Coloration.

***ONLY CLIP/Cut the Shaft where it is Opaque White. ***CLIP/CUT ONE FEATHER AT A TIME… ***Watch for ANY Bleeding before Cutting another Feather.

*** DO NOT CLIP TOO SHORT... or Too Long either.

Clip/Cut just up under the Primary Covert Feathers
so the Cut Edge will be covered. (Ideal)
At this level the Risk of there being an Active Blood Supply in the Shaft is much less then closer to the Skin Follicle.

***If you see Pink or Purple in the Shafts, you MUST Clip/Cut the Feather Shafts longer to avoid Blood Vessels. Leaving the Feather longer then you might want.

***IF there are Blood Feather and you can not CLIP up under the Primary Covert Feathers….

Measure 1-1/2 to 2 inches back from the Pink-Purple Coloration
to where the Shaft is Opaque White.

You will want to Clip/Cut across several more Primaries (7-8).
This will leave the Cut Edge uncovered by the Primary Covert Feathers.

You will want to Clip these Feathers shorter in Two to Three Weeks,
once the Blood Vessels have Atrophied, leaving more White Shaft.

The Goal is to keep the Swan/Cygnet off balance when they try to Fly..

If Feather Stumps are present beyond the Lower Edge of the Primary Coverts they may irritate the Swan during Preening, causing significant discomfort.

The Cygnet/Swan may Chew and Tug at these Cut Shaft Ends until they Pull them Out. Then a New Feather will Grow…( OH NO ! )
Remote – BUT Possible..
*************************** THE BEST SPOT to CLIP – ( IDEAL is not always Possible.)
Cut the Primary Flight Feathers at the point where the Feather Barbules begin on the Shaft of the Primary Flight Feathers.
Leaving Few Barbules on the Shaft.

*** Leave the remaining Primary Feather Shaft and Quill in the Skin Follicle.

***(once trimmed up under the Primary Coverts)
There may be as much as 4-6 inches of Feather Shaft remaining.
2-3 Inches of Round Semi-Hollow Opaque White Shaft
and 2-3 Inches of the Quill up inside the Skin Follicle.

The Quill is the part of the Feather Shaft up inside the Skin Follicle.

*************************** NEVER Clip/Trim Secondaries

It is sufficient to Clip FIVE Primary Flight Feathers – One Wing Only.

******************************************************
The Method of Clipping for Ducks is Different then for Swans…
It is Recommended that the Secondary Wing Feathers are Clipped.
IF a Swan’s Secondary Wing Feathers are Clipped.. they can still Fly.

Wing Clipping may appear to be an alternative to Pinioning, but Wing Clipping is not always reliable.

The Annual Moult may occur earlier or later then anticipated. You may miss your chance to do this Annually.

Female and Male Swans do not Moult at the same time.. generallyabout a month apart. The Females “Generally” Moult first..
and 3-4 weeks later the Male Swans will begin their Moult.

A Swan in Poor Health may Moult over an extended period of time…
when its body does not have the Nutrients to grow all new Feathers
in the normal Moult Cycle.

A Swan that has partially re-grown New Flight Feathers may
be able to fly away for short Distance.

Wing Clipping may create a “False Sense of Security.”
Clipped Swans, if spooked, are still capable of a short, powerful burst of flight.

A properly done Clip only trims the Feathers and not the Wings.
It is painless and temporary, lasting only until the next Moult.

Better to Clip a Full-Wing Swans then Watch them Fly Away..

***************************************************** &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& *****************************************************
In the past, to preserve the Symmetric Beauty of both Swan Wings,
Swan Owners/Keepers might decide to Clip rather then permanently deform their Swans by Pinioning.

Mute Swan NOT Pinioned

The HOPE was/is, if a Cygnet does not learn to Fly during their First
Two/Three Years they will not know how or try to Fly.

This may work with a Large Percentage of Swans..
It is Better then remaining Full-Wing All Feathers Intact.

Swans are Spectacular in Flight.. Breathtaking.
but, seeing them Fly AWAY is not.

*** Once Swans learn to Fly… all Bets are OFF.
They will know “the World is a Bigger Place” then their Pond.

All Swans will Play-Chase and Flap-Run across their Water…

But, in the FALL… when there are Stiff Cool Breezes..
or in the Spring when it is time to look for Nesting Sites..
They get a “Glint in their Eyes”.. and want to Fly.

You can be Comforted that 5 mostly missing Primary Flight Feathers will keep your Swans Grounded. It works..

They can not get their balance.. and can not “Take to Air”..

Swans need the Exercise. It is good for their Hearts to “Wing-Tip.”
Their Wing-Tips touch the Water Surface as they Flutter-Run..

I LOVE to see them do this.. They will often do this together..
Play-Chasing..
It happens so QUICK, my Camera is usually not ready.

Turn toward your Pond when you HEAR the Slapping of BIG Webbed Feet.

************************
FROM: http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww25ev.htm
*** There is a Physiological Component as well as a Psychological
Component when one considers how important Flight Feathers are to any Bird’s Safety and Life.

A damaged Feather reduces Flight Efficiency and Interferes with Escape from Danger. Birds/Swans appear to be quite concerned about these Clipped “half” Feathers.
********************

For Management of a large flock of Swans it may be very difficult for
a Keeper to identify, catch, and Clip each Swan at the proper time.

********************************************************
United States WildLife Department of Natural
Resources (WDNR) Regulations requiring Captive Swans be Pinioned, the practice of Clipping should only be a temporary measure until you can arrange for your Swan to be Pinioned by a qualified Avian Veterinarian.

Have this Information ready when you are preparing to have the
Swans/Cygnets Surgically Pinioned. Their DNA-Sex Test Result.

** Females Pinion the Right Wing.
** Males Pinion the Left Wing.

*******************************************************

This Information is a Work in Progress…..
As I learn more I will add to this information..
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Compiled by (C) L.M.Sweger Date September 2018
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